USDA says the new agreement will expand the market for organic farmers, reduce hurdles for small and medium-size businesses, and deliver more organic products to consumers.
US President Barack Obama on Monday signed H.R. 2146 which renews the trade promotion authority (TPA) and H.R. 1295, the “Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015,” into law.
The US House of Representatives passed “The Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015,” the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA-2015) bill, by a vote of 218-208 last week.
Deputy Agriculture Secretary Krysta Harden and Honduras Secretary of Agriculture and Livestock Jacobo Paz signed an agreement this week supporting agricultural development and trade in Honduras, according to USDA.
The International Dairy Foods Association supported the Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committee in their favorable approval and advancement of the “The Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015” (TPA-2015).
USDA, along with food industry groups such as the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) voiced their support and urged a swift approval of new legislation, the “Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015,” that would modernize and renew Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), boost economic growth and open the door to new markets for US goods and services.
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the department reached agreements allowing US beef and pork producers greater access to consumers in Mexico and Peru.
More than 75 members of the US House of Representatives signed a letter urging the Obama Administration to negotiate for a positive market-access outcome for the US dairy industry in the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.